The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy and safety of using afatinib (BIBW 2992) to treat non-small cell lung cancer patients considered unfit for chemotherapy and have either suspected or confirmed Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutation.

Safety [ Time Frame: To be assessed at every timepoint i.e. baseline, fortnightly for the first 2 cycles and then monthly for 12 months and 2 monthly thereafter ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

For each type of adverse event, the maximum toxicity grade will be obtained for each patient using CTCAE version 4.0 to closely monitor tolerability to BIBW 2992. Focus will be on those with a grade 3 or 4 BIBW 2992 related toxicities. The proportion of patients with any grade 3 or 4 event will also be examined.

Progression free survival in patients aged 70 and over [ Time Frame: At progression or patient death ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

Treatment compliance [ Time Frame: Compliance will be examined based on the time between starting treatment and stopping it completely ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

All patients will be given daily oral afatinib (BIBW 2992) administered every 28 days until disease progression/toxicity/clinician decision to stop. Starting dose is 40mg. 30mg and 20mg will be administered according to protocol dose modification requirements following toxicity.

Drug: Afatinib (BIBW 2992)

All patients will be given daily oral afatinib (BIBW 2992) administered every 28 days until disease progression/toxicity/clinician decision to stop. Starting dose is 40mg. 30mg and 20mg will be administered according to protocol dose modification requirements following toxicity.

Detailed Description:

Lung cancer is most common cause of death from cancer, of which non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for ~80% of all cases with most patients presenting with advanced disease. Patients medically unfit to receive radical or platinum-doublet palliative systemic therapy, because of poor performance status or comorbidity, account for at least 45% of newly diagnosed cases and have poor survival. Many oncologists have interpreted single-agent chemotherapy data as not clinically meaningful when balanced against toxicities, non-significant improvements in quality of life and comorbidity. Hence, in the UK, this group of patients are predominantly treated by best-supportive care (BSC).

This study aims to examine the efficacy and safety of using afatinib (BIBW 2992), an irreversible second generation EGFR inhibitor, in patients with non-small cell lung cancer, who are considered unfit for chemotherapy and have either suspected or confirmed Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) mutation.

Suspected EGFR mutant patients will have clinical characteristics likely to harbour the EGFR mutation (adenocarcinoma sub type and ex or never smokers) with EGFR genotype unknown either due to no tissue suitable for genotyping or failed genotype.

There has been only one small prospective study of medically unfit patients with EGFR mutation, but it demonstrated good efficacy with a TKI17. This phase II study of East Asian patients (n=30) with performance status 2-4 and treated with gefitinib demonstrated a rapid improvement in performance status at 1 month, an overall response rate of 66% and median survival of 17.8 months. Whilst gefitinib is licensed for EGFR mutant NSCLC, no prospective studies have yet been performed on medically unfit patients from Western countries. Despite dramatic initial responses, EGFR mutant NSCLC patients treated with gefitinib/erlotinib ultimately relapse. In ~50% of cases this is due to the gefitinib/erlotinib-resistant T790M genotype acquired through either secondary somatic mutation or clonal expansion. There is therefore a need to improve the outcomes of medically unfit patients with suspected EGFR mutation, who would otherwise be treated with best supportive care, and in proven EGFR mutation cases by using an effective EGFR-directed therapy that inhibits EGFRT790M.

Prospective data on medically unfit Western NSCLC patients with EGFR mutation are required to assess the efficacy of EGFR-TKIs. Additionally, given that 50% of such patients will become TKI-resistant through EGFRT790M, new therapies are required to overcome this resistance mechanism.

Symptomatic left ventricular failure with NYHA classification of 3 or more

Active viral hepatitis and/or known HIV positive

Known or suspected active drug or alcohol abuse

Use of any investigational drug within 8 weeks of registration.

Known allergy to BIBW 2992 or other ingredients.

Patients on steroids must have been on the same dose for at least 4 weeks.

Inability to understand or to comply with the requirements of the trial, trial protocol or to provide informed consent.

Women of childbearing potential, or men who are able to father a child, unwilling to use a medically acceptable method of contraception during the trial

Women who are pregnant or breast feeding

Requirement for treatment with any of the prohibited concomitant medications listed in protocol

Contacts and Locations

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01415011